Department for Transport

Public Transport: Refugees

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will reimburse local transport authorities for additional costs incurred when Ukrainian refugees apply for and are granted a (1) Freedom Pass, (2) Oyster 60 Plus card, (3) Zip Oyster card, or (4) other similar travel concessions.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Within London, transport is devolved to the Mayor of London, including decision-making responsibility about any concessions offered.Local Transport Authorities outside of London can also choose to introduce further concessions if they choose.

British Airline Pilots Association: Jet Zero Council

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to including a representative from the British Airline Pilots Association to their Jet Zero Council membership.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: When the Jet Zero Council was established in July 2020, we sought to ensure that all relevant parts of the industry were represented, from airlines, airports, and aerospace manufacturers, to NGOs, academics, and start-ups.To ensure that the Council remains at the forefront of driving zero emission transatlantic flight within a generation, we are currently reviewing the Council’s membership to ensure it reflects the expertise required to deliver this challenge. Though there will always be practical limits to the size of the Council, and we are not able to accommodate all individual requests for membership.To support the delivery of the Jet Zero Council and allow wider participation in its work, we have established Delivery Groups focussed on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and Zero Emission Flight (ZEF), which we encourage organisations with relevant interests to engage with.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Water Power

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include (1) hydropower, and (2) tidal lagoons, as elements in their new energy strategy.

Lord Callanan: The Government acknowledges the valuable contribution of hydropower to the GB energy mix over many decades. However, economic and environmental constraints mean that in practice the viable remaining resource is less than 1% of total generation capacity, and therefore hydroelectric generation will likely not be a significant contributor to the country's future generation portfolio. The Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in the bays and estuaries around the UK coast. Any such proposal would have to demonstrate strong evidence of value for money in the context of other low-carbon forms of generation before the Government could take a view on its potential.

Drax Power Station: Timber

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they hold on the proportion of wood pellets used in the Drax Power Station that are sourced from British boreal and temperate forests; and what assessment they have made of the impactof this on keeping those forests intact.

Lord Callanan: Data on biomass sourcing is publicly available on Ofgem’s website and information for the latest available year can be accessed there.The UK only supports sustainable biomass and generators only receive subsidies for biomass that complies with strict sustainability criteria.UK forests are protected by forestry and Environmental Impact legislation in the four administrations of the UK together with the requirements of the UK Forestry Standard, while we have committed to increase annual UK planting rates to 30,000 hectares by the end of this Parliament.

Training: Rural Areas

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to introduce training vouchers for rural enterprises.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

EGNOS: Cost Effectiveness and Impact Assessments

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 30 April (HL7617), whether (1) an impact assessment, and (2) a value for money assessment, on the role of EGNOS in the UK was undertaken prior to 31 December 2020; if so, whether they will place copies in the Library of the House; and if not, what were the reasons.

Lord Callanan: Further to the answer I gave the noble Lord on 20th April 2022 to Question HL7617, it would not be appropriate for the Department to comment on any impact assessment or value for money assessment due to the ongoing commercial sensitivity around EU space programmes.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 19 April (HL7620), to set out how the UK Endorsement Board seeks to ensure that the statutory criteria for endorsement have been met.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.

Prices: Disability

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage companies to introduce social tariffs for disabled households.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Horizon Europe

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current position in negotiations for the UK'sassociate membership of the Horizon Europe Programme; and what steps they are intending to take in order to protect the position of UK academics who have been awarded research grants by the European Research Council.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Research: Finance

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish further details of how the £39.8 billion research and development budget for the financial years 2022–23 through to 2024–25 will be allocated; and when the first tranche of grant funding will be made available to bidders.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Boilers: Hydrogen

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for mandating the installation of hydrogen-ready boilers in homes from 2026.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.

Heat Pumps: Training

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofhow collaborative training can be developed between (1) manufacturers, (2) colleges, and (3) other training providers, to (a) develop, and (b) roll-out, heat pump system training for the future, to ensure a pipeline of new apprentices and overcome any future skills and labour shortages.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.

Natural Gas and Oil: Cameroon

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much oil and gas was imported from Cameroon to the UK in (1) 2020, and (2) 2021.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Heating: Training

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financialimpact of low-carbon heating training incentives on (1) self-employed heating systems installers, and (2) Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs); and whether they will provide financial remedies to address any deleterious impact.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.

UK Endorsement Board: Staff

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any members of staff supporting the work of the UK Endorsement Board have previously worked for members of the board who are or were partners in (1) PwC, (2) KPMG, or (3) Grant Thornton; and if so, who worked for whom, when, and for how long.

Lord Callanan: The UK Endorsement Board operates independently from HM Government. BEIS is therefore unable to provide information relating to members of staff, including information on job history, supporting its work.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about including hybrid heat pumps within the scope of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Lord Callanan: Hybrid heating systems will not be supported through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme as funding will be directed towards the technologies that offer the greatest carbon savings, rather than those which would continue to involve the burning of fossil fuels for heating. Government will continue to consider the role that gas and electric hybrid systems may play in the longer-term decarbonisation of heat on the gas grid.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide additional financial support measures when the Boiler Upgrade Scheme closes in 2025.

Lord Callanan: The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) currently has a committed budget of £450m over three years from 2022/23 to 2024/25. Any additional scheme budget or extension beyond this timeframe will be a matter for a future fiscal event.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to provide additional financial measures to incentivise heat pump installations if the number of grant applications made under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme exceeds the permitted 30,000 per year.

Lord Callanan: Any additional budget for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme beyond the presently committed £450m over three years will be a matter for a future fiscal event. However, we want as many people as possible who want to have a heat pump installed this year to be able to have one, so will continue to keep uptake of the scheme under review.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will run for the three years originally envisioned.

Lord Callanan: The Boiler Upgrade Scheme currently has a committed budget of £450m over three years from 2022/23 to 2024/25. Any additional scheme budget or extension beyond this timeframe will be a matter for a future fiscal event.

UK Endorsement Board

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Endorsement Board has undertaken an analysis of what constitutes 'reliability' in the context of audited accounts and its endorsement criteria; and whether any such assessment excludes positions that resemble those of the large accounting firms that were criticised in the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee's report The Future of Audit,published on 2 April 2019.

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Endorsement Board has undertaken an analysis of what constitutes 'reliability' in the context of audited accounts and its endorsement criteria; if not why not; and whether any analysis includes positions from case law of applying the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Lord Callanan: The UK Endorsement Board has been delegated powers to consider new international accounting standards for UK adoption only; it has no remit over audit policy and audit standards. This includes an assessment of the compatibility of new standards with the requirements of the International Accounting Standards and European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 No. 685 (IAS Regulations). The IAS Regulations require that “the standard meets the criteria of understandability, relevance, reliability and comparability required of the financial information needed for making economic decisions and assessing the stewardship of management.” These requirements were on-shored from EU legislation on the UK’s exit from the EU and have long been understood in the context of adoption of international accounting standards.

Department of Health and Social Care

Cystic Fibrosis

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) children, and (2) adults, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis have access to both clinical psychologist and social worker resources through their multidisciplinary team, as set out in the NHS service specification for adult and paediatric care.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Heart Diseases: Diagnosis

Lord Reay: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent increase in referrals to heart failure diagnostic clinics throughout NHS Trusts in England.

Lord Kamall: No specific assessment has been made.

Respiratory System: Diseases

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the universal restart of spirometry testing in primary care prior to the establishment of community diagnostic centres.

Lord Kamall: Systems have been asked to work towards restoring asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) registers and spirometry checks for adults and children to pre-pandemic levels in 2022/23. The Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) for 2022/23 includes respiratory indicators in relation to the diagnosis of asthma and COPD which was fully re-instated in April 2022.For people with a diagnosis of asthma, the QOF sets thresholds for maintaining a record of patients with either a record of spirometry and one other objective test between three and six months after diagnosis, and within six months of registration for those newly registered with a diagnosis of asthma but no record of objective tests performed at the date of registration.For those with COPD, the QOF asks practices to maintain a record of people with a diagnosis on or after 1 April 2021 whose diagnosis has been confirmed by quality assured post bronchodilator spirometry between three months before or six months after diagnosis or within six months of registration, in addition to patients with a clinical diagnosis on or after 1 April 2021 who are unable to undertake spirometry.

Lung Diseases: Death

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are proposing to address the finding by Asthma + Lung UK that the UK has the highest rate of lung disease deaths in western Europe.

Lord Kamall: The NHS Long Term Plan proposed interventions which included early and accurate diagnosis, increasing service provision for pulmonary rehabilitation, medicines optimisation, a care bundle for community acquired pneumonia and self-management of respiratory conditions. We are expanding pulmonary rehabilitation into less served communities and improving self-management support for patients with lung disease.The Quality Outcomes Framework ensures all general practitioner practices in England establish and maintain a register of patients with a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma diagnosis in accordance with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. This ensures regular reviews and monitoring of those with asthma and COPD.We are encouraging the use of preventer inhalers, inhaled corticosteroid inhalers and reducing overuse of reliever inhalers and short-acting bronchodilator inhalers, which are associated with poorer clinical outcomes. A Commissioning for Quality and Innovation incentive for a care bundle for community acquired pneumonia commenced in April 2022. The Lung Health @home project is working with the national respiratory programme to enable more patients to manage their lung health at home and ensuring they can access the most appropriate support. The project aims to deliver supported self-management and exercise and activity tools for those diagnosed with a chronic lung condition. NHS England and NHS Improvement have also established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks to provide clinical leadership of respiratory services.

Multiple Sclerosis: Nurses

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many multiple sclerosis specialist nurses work in the NHS; and what plans they have, if any, to ensure all people with multiple sclerosis have access to a specialist nurse.

Lord Kamall: Data on the number of multiple sclerosis (MS) specialist nurses working in the National Health Service is not held centrally. Services for adults with MS are part of local neurology services commissioned by clinical commissioning groups. NHS England is leading a programme to develop optimal neurology pathways including, MS services. The MS pathway includes access to specialist nurses for all patients diagnosed with MS.NHS England commissions a highly specialised service for children with MS across seven centres. All children with MS have access to a specialist paediatric nurse with an expertise in paediatric MS. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence advises a multidisciplinary approach and recommends the involvement of professionals to best meet the needs of the patient, including MS nurses.

Respiratory System: Health Services

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include metric-driven targets on improvements in respiratory mortality and provision of care within the NHS Long Term Plan.

Lord Kamall: There are no specific plans to do so. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement are updating the NHS Long Term Plan to review progress and state the actions required to recover services such as elective care. Implementation plans will be developed to support National Health Service delivery and new Operating Models from 2023 to 2025, within the existing NHS budget. NHS England and NHS Improvement will work with partners, patient and staff groups, NHS networks and the public to review the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan.

Brain Cancer: Health Services

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve outcomes for brain tumour cancer patients.

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to reduce the disparity in survival rates for brain tumour patients compared to other higher funded cancers.

Lord Kamall: In May 2018, the Government announced a £40 million investment over five years for brain tumour research as part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Since then, the NIHR has received 69 applications for research funding in relation to brain tumours, with 10 applications funded and seven applications under consideration. All applications that are fundable have been funded.We anticipate that the use of 5-aminolevulinic acid will increase which will benefit brain tumour patients. This is a brain cancer treatment used to assist surgeons to differentiate between tumour and normal brain tissue, increasing the amount of tumour resected during surgery.

Obesity: Health Services

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are considering when revisiting the NHS Long Term Plan to address obesity in order (1) to improve cardiovascular health, and (2) to reduce dementia risk.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Lord Bethell: Abingdon Health

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the (1) WhatsApp, and (2) text, messages that Lord Bethell (a) received, and (b) sent, in relation to Abingdon Health from any individual, from his private mobile telephone while a Minister, how many did officials from the Department of Health and Social Care (i) see, and (ii) record.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Dementia: Clinical Trials

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and (2) the National Institute for Health and Care Research, aboutwhich lessons from the success of COVID-19 trials could be applied to improve the (a) approval, and (b) set-up process, for dementia trials.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Medical Equipment: Energy

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support consumers who need to use electric medical devices at home, such as monitors or ventilators, given the impact of rising energy prices.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Dementia: Medical Treatments

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of a Dementia Medicines Taskforce to advance towards a disease-modifying treatment for dementia.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Cystic Fibrosis: Social Workers

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to address social worker shortages in (1) specialist adult cystic fibrosis centres, and (2) specialist paediatric cystic fibrosis centres.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Primary Health Care: Standards

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto improve the state of primary care in the NHS.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Abortion: Ambulance Services

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Kamall on 7 December 2021 (HL3991), whether the additional data collected will include a record of the NHS numbers of patients who have had a termination procedure to enable effective tracking of both short and long term complications.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

NHS: Standards

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the NHS meets core targets on performance, including (1) the standard of 95 per cent of patients being admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours of arrival, (2) the 18 week referral-to-treatment target for planned (elective) consultant-led care, and (3) the 62 day wait standard for cancer.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Rare Diseases

Baroness Cumberlege: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the standards set out in NHS service specifications for rare and complex diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, are adhered to; and to what extent these represent a statutory expectation of care that patients should expect to receive at a minimum.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Abortion: Ambulance Services

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Kamall on 7 December 2021 (HL3991), whether the additional data collected will include data to monitor long term complications such as (1) fertility, including future miscarriage, and (2) future premature births.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Screening: Accident and Emergency Departments and Acute Beds

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to create rapidPCR capability in (1) emergency departments, and (2) acute healthcare settings.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Health Services: Screening

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS trusts have point-of-care teams; and how many of these have access to rapid PCR technology.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Cystic Fibrosis: Mental Health Services

Lord Triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of(1) children, and (2) adults, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in England saw a psychosocial professional in the last 12 months at their annual review.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Community Diagnostic Centres

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they willsupport the placement of rapid PCR technology in community diagnostic centres.

Lord Kamall: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Department for Education

Children's Commissioner for England: Public Appointments

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government through what process the post of the Children’s Commissioner for England is filled; what the term of appointment is; whether the appointment is renewable; and if so, how many times the appointment can be renewed.

Baroness Barran: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Children's Commissioner for England: Political Impartiality

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the independence of the office of the Children’s Commissioner for England; and whether it is consistent with the independence of that office for the postholder to be a member of a registered political party.

Baroness Barran: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Children's Commissioner for England: Public Appointments

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirement as to political independence is placed on (1) appointments to the post of Children’s Commissioner for England, and (2) appointments made by the Children’s Commissioner for England to that office.

Baroness Barran: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Ofsted: Public Appointments

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government through what process the post of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is filled; what the term of appointment is; whether the appointment is renewable; and if so, how many times the appointment can be renewed.

Baroness Barran: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Students: Loans

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the rates of interest on student loans.

Baroness Barran: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Special Educational Needs: Employment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to develop a scheme to enable school leavers with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) into the workforce.

Baroness Barran: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Ministry of Justice

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Wolfson of Tredegar on 21 February (HL5934), when they plan to (1) submit, and (2) publish, the UK’s 7th Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Treasury

Taxation: Domicil

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace the non-domicile individual status with a form of temporary resident tax status for people living in the UK for short periods of time.

Baroness Penn: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

UK Trade with EU

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent in each financial year since 2016–17 to create a national digital platform to mitigate the effects of regulatory barriers to trade and to ensure the swift movement of goods between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the EU following the UK’s exit from the EU; and when they expect this to be delivered.

Baroness Penn: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Customs: ICT

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the GVMS IT system stopped working as planned with the CHIEF and CDS systems; and what is their assessment of the effects of this on (1) the process for importing and exporting from the UK, and (2) the economy of (a) Kent, and (b) the UK.

Baroness Penn: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Loans: Fraud

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to identify what anti-fraud measures are needed at the start of any new emergency loan scheme.

Baroness Penn: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Graduates: Income Tax

Lord Faulkner of Worcester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of higher rate tax payers they estimate to be university graduates.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the top (1) one per cent, (2) 10 per cent, and (3) 50 per cent, of income tax payersthey estimate to be university graduates.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of income tax payers they estimate to be university graduates.

Baroness Penn: The Government does not hold complete data on which taxpayers are graduates and which are not. Therefore, we cannot provide a reliable estimate in answer to these questions.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Human Rights: Procurement and Technology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to invest in technological innovations and supply chains to mitigate risks to (1) human rights in general and (2) freedom of religion or belief in particular across its funding and development programmes, including the Magna Carta Fund, Newton Science Fund and the Navy X innovation hub.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Human Rights: 6G

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of enhanced technological threats to (1) human rights in general and (2) discrimination on grounds of freedom of religion or belief in particular, in its forward planning and investments regarding the implementation of 6G capacity and capabilities (a) at home, and (b) abroad.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Human Rights: Technology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rise in technological threats to human rights in general, and to freedom of religion or belief in particular.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Cameroon: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the government of Cameroon to commit to participation in internationally mediated peace talksfollowing the US State Department’s 2021 country report, which detailed evidence of human rights abuses in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Cameroon: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of human rights abuses in Cameroon by security services and non-state armed groups, as set out in the US State Department's 2021 country report; and whether they will allow Anglophone Cameroonians to claim asylum in the UK.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Nigeria: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 7 April (HL7377), which organisations in Nigeria benefit fromthe Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) governance programme; which local government areas in Kaduna State benefit from PERL; and how much UKdevelopment aidhas been allocated to PERL since 2017.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Nigeria: Internally Displaced People

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made, if any, of the number of displaced people in Nigeria's central states.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation on Northern Ireland and trade in the next session.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Israel: Detainees

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from Defence for Children International that (1) during an interrogation on 8 February at Huwwara military base, Israeli forces threatened to shoot or hang a 13-year-old; and (2) on 22 February at Megiddo prison, an Israeli interrogator extinguished a cigarette on the arm of a 15-year-old.

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the analysis by Defence for Children International published on 17 April which found that between 2016 and 2021, 75 per cent of Palestinian children in Israeli detention suffered physical violence, 83 per cent were strip searched, 31 per cent were denied access to a toilet, 59 per cent were arrested at night, and 97 per cent had no family member present while under interrogation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Tunisia: Politics and Government

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Tunisia on the recent dissolution of the Tunisian parliament and the charging of 121 members with terrorism offences.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Foreign Relations

Lord Anderson of Ipswich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they keep copies of memorandums of understanding concluded with foreign governments since 1997; and what plans they have, if any, to publish (1) the text of those memorandums of understanding, and (2) a descriptive list of those memorandums of understanding.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of progress with the UK/EU negotiations on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Rwanda: LGBT People

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of LGBT+ rights in Rwanda.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Rwanda: Press Freedom

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the state of media freedom in Rwanda.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Ukraine: Armenia

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Armenia regarding its neutrality towards the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answerfrom Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 April (HL7590), whether they intend to remind the government of Russia that itspeace-keeping force on the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia has the responsibility of enforcing the ceasefire and preventing violations and intimidation by either side.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Nigeria: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government when theNorth East Nigeria Transition to Development Programme will end; whether it will be renewed; and whether it will be expanded to include humanitarian assistance to the Middle Belt.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Horn of Africa: Droughts

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, in advanceof the conference on the Horn of Africa drought on 26 April, to commit new funding to mitigate the effects of that drought.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Shawkat Kamal Abed

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that a 17 year old Palestinian boy, Shawkat Kamal Shawkat Abed, was killed by the Israeli military using an exploding bullet.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Nigeria: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 7 April (HL7377), how much UK development aid has been provided to (1) Christian Aid, and (2) the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, to support communities displaced due to intercommunal violence in Kaduna State in 2020.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Egypt: Capital Punishment

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Egypt about (1) the 230 persons executed in the 26 months since December 2019, and (2) the 12 men now facing execution in that country; and whether those representations will include issues related to the availability of evidence and legal representation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they anticipate that the Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessment for Ethiopia will be instigated; what resources will be available to the assessment; what commitment of personnel is being made to enable work on the assessment to be expedited; when they expect a first preliminary assessment to be made available; and how they plan to report the assessment to Parliament.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Conflict: Foreign Relations

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop long-term strategies for preventing wars, both between states and within them; and how they will link any such strategies to (1) defence policy, and (2) the need to limit global warming.

Baroness Goldie: The 2021 Integrated Review set out the Government's current assessment of the major trends that will shape the national security and international environment to 2030. The Integrated Review reasserts the Government's commitment to be a force for good in the world and outlines how the UK will continue to play a leading international role in conflict resolution and prevention. The Integrated Review also committed to seek multilateral solutions to climate change.In line with the overarching objectives set out in the Integrated Review, the Government has published sub-strategies to deliver the Government's vision for defence and security policy.The 2021 Defence Command Paper outlines how the Integrated Review aligns with defence policy. The Command Paper, along with departmental sub-strategies, will continue to be reviewed in line with the agile planning and delivery mechanisms developed following the Integrated Review.

Military Bases: Catering

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government which UK military bases are served by outside catering contractors.

Baroness Goldie: All UK military bases are served by outsourced contract caterers with the exception of the following three sites:Credenhill, Stirling Lines, HerefordPontrilas Army Training Area, HerefordC-Site, Northern Ireland

Army: Food

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 12 April (HL7458), what daily amount of money has been allocated for food per serving British Army soldier stationed in barracks each year for the past 10 years.

Baroness Goldie: The daily amount allocated for food per serving British Army soldier stationed in UK barracks is calculated on a quarterly basis. This is called the Daily Food Charge (DFC). The table below sets out the DFC that soldiers feeding in barracks pay for the three core meals in total. Figures are only available for the last seven years:  Month/YearDaily Food Charge (DFC) per core mealOct-15£4.80Jan-16£4.81Apr-16£4.82Jul-16£4.75Oct-16£4.91Jan-17£4.95Apr-17£4.99Jul-17£5.05Oct-17£4.95Jan-18£4.97Apr-18£4.87Jul-18£4.92Oct-18£5.26Jan-19£5.35Apr-19£5.35Jul-19£5.35Oct-19£5.35Jan-20£5.29Apr-20£5.45Jul-20£5.45Oct-20£5.45Jan-21£5.45Apr-21£5.61Jul-21£5.61Oct-21£5.61Jan-22£5.61Apr-22£5.61Jul-22£5.61Oct-22£5.61

Armed Forces

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the defensive performance of the Ukrainian armed forces, what plans they have to review the doctrines of the UK military.

Baroness Goldie: We keep our doctrine under regular review to ensure it remains relevant to the challenges of today. Analysis of current events, such as the illegal and unjust invasion of Ukraine by Russia, is a key tenet of that review process.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to place orders with (1) UK, and (2) any other, manufacturers to replace war stocks (a) supplied, and (b) promised to Ukraine.

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in light of the conflict in Ukraine, what plans they have to increase the quantity of UK defensive war stocks.

Baroness Goldie: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) keeps weapons stockpile levels and requirements under constant review, balancing current holdings against threats, availability, industrial capacity and evolving technology. This is especially true in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, and these considerations have also informed the numbers of munitions granted in kind to the armed forces of Ukraine. The Department is fully engaged with industry, allies and partners to ensure that all munitions stocks granted in kind to the armed forces of Ukraine are replaced as expeditiously as possible. For reasons of safeguarding operational security, it would be inappropriate to discuss timelines or numbers at this stage in relation to any orders placed with industry. The MOD continuously reviews the capability required to counter threats and monitors the global security situation, including in Ukraine, to ensure appropriate levels of operational readiness.

Armed Conflict: Explosives

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support an international Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

Baroness Goldie: The UK will take a view on our support of the international Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas once its final form is known.

Nuclear Submarines: Devonport Dockyard

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have regarding the storage of retired nuclear submarines after the last slot at 3 Basin Devonport is filled by the arrival of HMS Trenchant.

Baroness Goldie: There is existing capacity and capability at Devonport to safely store all decommissioned submarines up to and including the Trafalgar Class. Beyond this, the requirements for storage of future decommissioned submarines is being considered.

Armed Forces: Food

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the food budget was for UK troops each year for the past 10 years, excluding all training and deployments in the UK or abroad.

Baroness Goldie: Personnel not undertaking training or deployed on operations can purchase food on a pay as you dine basis in messes or self-cater in their accommodation. Catering is supplied to bases via seven regional contracts with HESTIA. The contracts provide mess catering, retail, cleaning, laundry, and services such as tailoring and cobblers. The MOD sets specific requirements for food content and controls the price of meals. HESTIA provide 24 million meals per year and the contract for catering and facilities is £75 million per year. I refer my Noble Friend to the answer I have given to his related question HL7980 where the Daily Food Charge is set out.

Armed Forces: Catering

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) military chefs, and (2) cooks, were employed within the UK by (a) the British Army, (b) the Royal Navy, and (c) the Royal Air Force, in each of the last 10 years.

Baroness Goldie: The number of personnel serving with a specialisation of Chef or Catering Services employed within the UK by (a) the British Army, (b) the Royal Navy, and (c) the Royal Air Force, in each of the last 10 years is shown below along with the total stationed in the UK. Cook is not a specified military designation on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system and records for non-military chefs/cooks are not held on JPA.  NavyArmyRAFFinancial yearTotal Trained Regular Chefsof which stationed in the UK4Total Trained Regular Chefsof which stationed in the UK4Total Trained Regular Chefsof which stationed in the UK401 April 20128017902,2991,72059558901 April 20137247151,9721,54850349601 April 20147026921,5881,22344744201 April 20157177081,2821,02743142801 April 20167167091,2231,08443643301 April 20177517451,1881,08243643301 April 20187177111,1371,02643543201 April 20197127061,06396342241801 April 202071570899395440940401 April 2021687682974933420417Source: Analysis (Tri-Service)Notes:Trained Strength for the Services comprises military personnel who have completed both Phase 1 and 2 training.Personnel based in the UK are those with a stationed location within of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland at the dates specified.Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their stationed location are shown against their most recent stationed location.Across the time period, there was on average less than 1% of Trained Regular Chefs with a stationed location of “No Value”. These personnel may have been stationed in the UK.Figures represent the Strength of Trained Regular Chefs at each situation date; personnel are included for each situation date that they are on Strength. These figures are Strengths, rather than the intake of Chefs in any given year.

Armed Forces: Food Poverty

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many serving members of the UK Armed Forces are unable to fund their own food bills on a monthly basis and require assistance to pay for their basic meals.

Baroness Goldie: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

RFA Argus: Decommissioning

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace RFA Argus when it ceases service in 2024.

Baroness Goldie: Royal Fleet Auxiliary ARGUS is due out of service in 2024. In the longer term, the Multi Role Support Ship (MRSS) programme will offer an enduring solution to afloat medical support. In the interim, a range of potential options are being explored to mitigate the gap, including a potential short extension in service of RFA ARGUS.

HMS Scott: Decommissioning

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace HMS Scott when it ceases service in 2023.

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the timescales for building the new multi-ocean surveillance ship referred to in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.

Baroness Goldie: The Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROS) programme will provide several capabilities, including those currently provided by HMS SCOTT.Funding was provided for that programme in the Integrated Review as part of the uplift to the Royal Navy's shipbuilding pipeline; the nature of the shipping and systems that will deliver the capabilities are being developed, along with the timeline for implementation.

Department for Work and Pensions

Local Housing Allowance

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the Local Housing Allowance for families in its frozen state.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Local Housing Allowance: North East

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect the Local Housing Allowance being frozen will have in the northeast of England.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Local Housing Allowance: Children

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect the Local Housing Allowance being frozen will have on families with children.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Universal Credit: Harrogate

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many notified persons involved in the Universal Credit managed migration pilot in Harrogate missed their deadline day for claiming Universal Credit; and of this group, how many notified persons (1) did not subsequently have their deadline extended, (2) subsequently had their deadline extended, (3) claimed Universal Credit by their final deadline, and (4) did not claim Universal Credit by their final deadline.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Universal Credit

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Stedman-Scott on 24 March (HL6871), what plans they have, if any, to publish (1) the evaluation strategy, (2) the evaluation, and (3) the equality impact assessments for managed migration updated to take into account the experience gained from each stage of (a) the Harrogate managed migration pilot, and (b) the managed migration discovery phase.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Universal Credit: Deductions

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Stedman-Scott on 6 April (HL7286), what steps they are taking to ensure that deductions to Universal Credit payments never exceed the standard cap rate of 25 per cent.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Social Security Benefits: Chronic Illnesses

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the support that people with long term degenerative conditions like multiple sclerosis receive when they are no longer able to work.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Access to Work Programme

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make employers aware of the 'Access to Work' scheme to ensure that people with long term progressive conditions can remain in work for longer.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Soil

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their Soil Health Action Plan for England.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

UK Trade with EU

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they (1) have held, and (2) will hold, with the (a) United Nations, and (b) EU, on the movement of perishable goods between the UK and the EU under the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement; what assessment they have made of the implications of the International Treaty on the movement of Perishable Goods on the movement of such goods; and what changes they plan to make to the transport of perishable foods from 1 July when border checks are scheduled to come into force.

Lord Benyon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Farms: Renewable Energy

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the development of vertical, low-carbon farms, fuelled by renewable energy.

Lord Benyon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their proposals for seasonal workers for the UK agricultural sector.

Lord Benyon: Defra continues to work closely with industry and other Government departments to understand labour supply and demand, including both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements, and to ensure there is a long-term strategy for the UK agricultural sector. The Government has announced that the seasonal worker visa route will be extended to 2024 to allow overseas workers to come to the UK for up to six months to harvest both edible and ornamental crops. 30,000 visas will be available for 2022. This will be kept under review with the potential to increase by 10,000 if there is clear evidence of need. While acknowledging the sector’s reliance on foreign workers, the UK is committed to becoming a high-skilled, high-wage economy and the Government has been clear that more must be done to attract UK workers through offering training, career options, wage increases and to invest in increased automation technology. Defra’s Review of Automation in Horticulture will be published shortly and will inform a range of policy decisions regarding automation and seasonal labour from 2022 onwards. In addition, agricultural businesses can continue to rely on EU nationals living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status and EU nationals who have settled status can continue to travel to the UK to do seasonal work in 2022 and beyond. Over 5.7 million EU citizens and their families have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Defra is working with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to raise awareness of career opportunities within the food and farming sectors among UK workers. Defra is also working closely with the Home Office to ensure that the requirement for these sectors is understood across Government.

Pesticides

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to examine the deaths of predatory birds from the ingestion of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides, and (2) to review whether use of such rodenticides should be banned in the UK.

Lord Benyon: Improper use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) can pose threats to birds of prey. This can either be through deliberate illegal poisoning or through failure to comply with legal conditions of use. Such conditions include the requirement to remove dead rats and to take steps to prevent poisoning of non-target species, either of which could be ingested by birds of prey.Where a predatory bird may have been unlawfully killed, this is for the police to investigate, and a forensic study of the bird can be carried out. To address concerns about the illegal killing of birds of prey, senior Government and enforcement officers have identified raptor persecution as a national wildlife crime priority. Defra sits on the police-led Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group, which takes forward activities to raise awareness and facilitate intelligence and incident reporting, leading to increased prevention and enforcement activity.Defra has this year more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) from £165,000 per year to over £1.2 million over the next three years to target wildlife crime priorities including raptor persecution. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations.SGARs were developed to address public health and other concerns arising from increasing resistance among rats and mice to the longstanding use of existing rodenticides. During the authorisation process, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducts rigorous evaluation for safety and efficacy using scientific data, with restrictions placed on authorisations as appropriate. In order to avoid secondary poisoning risks to non-target species, current product authorisations restrict the use of SGARs in open areas to farmers, gamekeepers and other trained professionals where other integrated pest management approaches fail to control rodent populations. Some SGARs can only be used in sewers and in and around buildings.A stewardship regime is in place in the UK for professional use of SGARs. A cornerstone of the stewardship scheme is the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) Code of Best Practice , which sets out guidance on the safe use of rodenticides. It is a legal requirement to comply with this code. The scheme also supports the monitoring of exposure of barn owls and red kites to SGARs (as a sentinel species) led by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.The stewardship scheme is overseen by a Government Oversight Group (GOG) led by HSE with representatives of other Government stakeholders, who meet annually to assess its impact. This year the GOG is conducting a review of the stewardship scheme after five years of operation and will publish its findings in due course. The GOG will consider whether the controls currently provided by the stewardship scheme are sufficiently robust. Based on the outcome of the review, if necessary, HSE will take steps to amend existing product authorisations accordingly.

Chemicals: Registration

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to adopt the EU’s ‘rolling list’ of potentially toxic chemicals as part of the UK's REACH register.

Lord Benyon: Defra continues to work closely with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Environment Agency (EA), Welsh and Scottish Governments to identify our priorities under UK REACH. To do this, we consider information from a range of sources, including reviewing action initiated under the EU. Once we have identified priority chemical risks for GB we consider the most appropriate approach for managing them. This could include action under REACH, or action through other means, such as through the occupational health and safety regulations or the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulations.

Chemicals: Import Controls

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that slight variations of existing banned chemicals are not allowed onto the UK market.

Lord Benyon: We recognise that when assessing the risk of hazardous chemicals, it is important to consider whether they might be substituted with others with similar hazards (known as regrettable substitution). We are aiming to tackle this issue by considering whole groups of chemicals, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), during our analysis of the various risk management options available under UK REACH, and at the same time considering the availability and suitability of alternatives.

Food: Standards

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) adjustdietary guidelines, and (2) act to (a) halt, or (b) reverse, the decline in micronutrients in British vegetable and fruit supplies, as reported in theInternational Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, published on 15 October 2021.

Lord Benyon: The Government’s advice in the Eatwell Guide provides advice on how to have a healthier and more sustainable diet. It recommends food that is high in fibre, fruit and vegetables. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to shift towards a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, whilst maintaining people’s freedom of choice, including their diet. We recognise more people are choosing vegan and vegetarian options and we are working to support these sustainable food choices. We have the ideal climate which together with highly responsive and versatile growers, the use of innovative best practice and new technologies, enables us to grow a huge range of top quality and nutritious fruit and vegetables in this country. We will continue to support our growers to produce more high-quality fruit and vegetables that is both healthy and sustainable and encourage the use of the latest precision breeding technologies which will ensure that our fresh produce is not only nutritious, but beneficial to the environment, more resilient to climate change, and resistant to disease and pests. Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) on Wheat, Oilseed Rape, Pulses and Vegetable crops aim to improve these important UK crops by identifying genetic traits to improve their productivity, sustainability, resilience and nutritional quality. These long-term programmes - valued at around £1M per year - have already successfully identified genetic traits that have improved resilience to climate change and common pests and diseases, and we are working with breeders to incorporate these traits into elite UK crop varieties. Ongoing work is also developing traits to improve the nutritional quality of our crops, such as improved pulse protein quality and nutritionally fortified rapeseed oil.

Palm Oil

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any,to discourage food producers from using palm oil following disruptions to the supply of sunflower oil as a result of the war in Ukraine.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain – which has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges. The world’s leading vegetable oil is palm oil, however, several other oils are often used by the food manufacturing industry. Many UK manufacturers use sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil in their products. It is important to note that both supermarkets and food producers are private businesses that each have their own approaches and it is not the role of the Government to direct their operations. We are working closely with the food and feed industry to understand the impacts of the situation in Ukraine on sunflower seed, oil or sunseed meal supplies, whilst the Food Standards Agency have informed consumers that rapeseed oil may start to replace sunflower oil in some products We remain in regular contact with major grain traders, manufacturers and food retailers to understand the impacts of global events on supply chains, monitor availability of key ingredients and to ensure the highest possible standards for our food products. At the moment domestic edible oil refiners are reporting that the UK has adequate stocks of many different oils and food industry figures remain confident in the supply chain to adjust to any changes in ingredients which may be necessary.

Home Office

Passports

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to resolve the reported failure of new British passports to be read at border e-gates due to glossy coating of the pages, which has led to delays at airports.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate parliamentary scrutiny of their plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of flying asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether male asylum seekers from (1) Afghanistan, and (2) Ukraine, will have to go to Rwanda to complete their asylum claim.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Asylum: Rwanda

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government who will be on the Independent Monitoring Board referred to in the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Government and the government of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement; and when will the Board be fully operational.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Rwanda is binding; and if so, which elements of the agreement are binding.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Migrant Camps: RAF Linton-on-Ouse

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what basis, and for what intended purpose, a refugee camp is being planned for the former RAF Station at Linton-on-Ouse; and what assessment they have made about whether the camp would be best suited to housing seasonal workers to pick and process fruit and vegetables grown in the area.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Nationality and Borders Bill

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have rejected the pleas of over 1,000 faith leaders in England, Scotland and Wales to amend the Nationality and Borders Bill to (1) expand family reunion rules, (2) open new safe routes for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Europe, and (3) create and implement ambitious new resettlement schemes.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Immigration: Detainees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to prevent the detention of persons arriving in the UK with correct documents, and (2) to limit detention for (a) foreign criminals pending deportation, and (b) deliberate overstayers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Asylum: Rwanda

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether families will be split up through the new Asylum Partnership Arrangement with Rwanda; and if not, what evidence they have that the new policy will not lead to increased trafficking of women and children.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Asylum: Rwanda

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether any (1) women, (2) girls, and (3) LGBT+ people, who are relocated to Rwanda, will be afforded the same safety as in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Asylum: Rwanda

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they will use to determine whether someone arriving in the UK other than by authorised channels is eligible for being relocated to Rwanda.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Visas: Graduates

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to including (1) Indian, (2) Kenyan, or (3) other national universities, from former colonial countriesin the list of institutions whose graduates are eligible for the High Potential Individual Visa opening on 30 May.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Refugees: Afghanistan

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to allow Afghan refugees in temporary accommodation to take up employment without a permanent address.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Refugees: Afghanistan

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to permanently accommodate Afghan refugees.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member

Slavery

Baroness Greengross: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations they had, if any, with survivors of modern slavery prior to the (1) design, and (2) implementation, of theRecovery Needs Assessment, published on 8 November 2021.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Refugees: Ukraine

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide local authorities with funding for Ukrainians arriving under the Ukraine Family Scheme.

Lord Harrington of Watford: Nationals of Ukraine coming to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme will be given access to work, benefits and public services as laid down in the Immigration Rules Appendix Ukraine, details of which can be found at:Immigration Rules Appendix Ukraine Scheme - Immigration Rules - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Visas: Ukraine

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to speed up the visa application process for Ukrainian refugees.

Lord Harrington of Watford: We have received thousands of applications submitted to one of the fastest and largest visa programmes in UK history. Information on the number of visas granted under these schemes can be on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Schemes: application data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine. The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have surged staff across Europe to meet demand and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.As part of the Home Office’s commitment to make it easier for applicants to apply to our schemes, since 15 March, Ukrainians with valid passports no longer need to go to a Visa Application Centre to give their biometrics before they come to the UK.

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long they estimate that asylum seekers will have to stay in Rwanda prior to a decision on their application.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Migration and Economic Development Partnership between the UK and Rwanda will see those migrants travelling to the UK through illegal and dangerous methods, considered for relocation to Rwanda, where they will have their asylum claim processed. Once a person is relocated to Rwanda, their asylum claim becomes the responsibility of that country and falls under their jurisdiction. However, we expect asylum claims will be decided within a reasonable period of time.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Land: Sales

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduceland reform measures to enable local people tobid for land put up for sale.

Lord Greenhalgh: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Refugees: Afghanistan

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what incentives they are introducing toencourage private landlords to offer short-term rental accommodation to Afghan refugees looking for employment.

Lord Harrington of Watford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Freeports: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the impediments that could be faced inextending the Freeports programme to Northern Ireland.

Lord Greenhalgh: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Planning: Rural Areas

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce planning measures that prioritise small-scale developments in the countryside.

Lord Greenhalgh: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Coastal Areas and Rural Areas: Economic Situation

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to update their plans to support theeconomic recovery of towns and villages in rural and coastal areas; and if so, when.

Lord Greenhalgh: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria will be applied to funding decisions relating to the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund; who will make such funding decisions; and when will details of the application process and relevant timelines be made available to community, voluntary and social enterprise organisations in Northern Ireland.

Lord Greenhalgh: In Northern Ireland, UK Government will have oversight of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). We want to work closely with local partners to design a Northern Ireland investment plan. We will refine the plan in consultation with stakeholders in a way that reflects the needs of Northern Ireland’s economy and society. This group could include representatives from Northern Ireland Executive Departments, local authorities, businesses and the community and voluntary sector.As noted in the UKSPF Prospectus published on April 13, from April to June/July 2022 UK Government will work with stakeholders in Northern Ireland to develop local investment plans. In Summer 2022 Application processes and templates for Northern Ireland will be published. The investment plan window closes on 1 August.

Council Tax: Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Baroness Hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangementsthey havemade to ensure (1) that council taxpayers entitled to the single person discount who host refugees from Ukraine do not lose the entitlement, and (2) that local authorities are compensated for any consequent loss of income.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Council Tax (Discount Disregards and Exempt Dwellings) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 were laid before Parliament on 11 April 2022 and provide that refugees with a Homes for Ukraine immigration visa must be disregarded when calculating their host’s entitlement to the single person discount. Protecting the host’s entitlement to a single person discount will not result in local authorities experiencing a loss of expected income.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will (1) publish a list of the elements of the capital and running costs of the proposed UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre which are commercially confidential, with the reasons in each case, (2) indicate what steps are required before each aspect ceases to be commercially confidential, and (3) providetheir assessment of which aspects will remain confidential at the time of the next Government Major Projects Portfolio report.

Lord Greenhalgh: These costs will be determined through competitive tender and releasing details could affect our ability to achieve best value for money. The costs will be published at the appropriate time in line with the Government Major Projects Portfolio reporting process.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much, to date, has been spent on the proposed UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre; and what further sums have been committed under contracts for the design, project management, site preparation and construction of the Centre.

Lord Greenhalgh: Costs are regularly reviewed and updated figures will be published in due course in line with the Government Major Projects Portfolio reporting process. Additional costs resulting from the delay due to the High Court judgement are being assessed.

Victoria Tower Gardens

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took between October 2015 and June 2019 to ascertain whether there were any restrictions on the use of Victoria Tower Gardens.

Lord Greenhalgh: Professional advisers carried out checks as part of the normal planning process, including searching land registry.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what value for money assessments they conducted on the proposed UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre (1) before £50 million was committed to the project, and (2) before that sum was increased to £75 million; what criteria were used in each case to assess the effectiveness and value for money of the proposal; and whether they will place copies of these assessments in the Library of the House.

Lord Greenhalgh: Value for money has been assessed in the business case in line with Green Book guidance.

Rents: Increases

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have tointroduce a cap on rent increases in line with median wage rises.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government is committed to delivering a fairer and more effective rental market that works for both tenants and landlords. We will publish a landmark White Paper this spring that will set out proposals to create a fairer and better quality private rented sector.The Government does not, however, support the introduction of rent controls to set the level of rent at the outset of a tenancy. Historical evidence suggests that these would discourage investment in the sector, and would lead to declining property standards as a result, which would not help landlords or tenants.Landlords are able to increase rents during a tenancy as agreed with the tenant in a rent review clause of the tenancy agreement, or via a Section 13 notice up to once a year. If within a periodic tenancy a tenant and landlord are unable to agree on the rent increase they can refer the matter to the Property Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for independent adjudication.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the legal advice they have received since July 2019 concerning the impact of the London County Council (Improvements) Act 1900 on the proposal for the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Lord Greenhalgh: No.

Cabinet Office

UK Trade with EU: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide a list of those individual benefits set out in the Benefits of Brexit paper, published on 31 January, which do not apply to Northern Ireland because of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord True: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Airports: Vetting

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of time it takes to process security clearance for new airport staff; what is the average amount of time taken for this process; and how this average compares to that of April 2019.

Lord True: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Cabinet Office: Staff

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) civil servants, (2) special advisers, and (3) contractors, were employed in the Cabinet Office in (a) 2001, (b) 2011, and (c) 2021.

Lord True: The number of (1) civil servants, (2) special advisors, and (3) contractors, were employed in the Cabinet Office in (a) 2001, (b) 2011, and (c) 2021 is set out in the table below. Figures for contractors in 2001 and 2011 were not held centrally during those years and are therefore unavailable. In 2011, the role and remit of the Cabinet Office was largely to act in support of the Prime Minister and the operation of Government. Since then, the role of the Cabinet Office in managing the Civil Service has grown significantly to include centralisation of a number of functions including Human Resources, Commercial, Digital, Communications, and Security.The Cabinet Office also supports the Government in its response to national events, such as – in recent years – EU Exit, COVID-19, and COP26. Headcount200120112021Civil Servants1,8901,6411807 - Secretariats and Policy 8,437 - Corporate Centre for Government, Inquiries, Equalities Hub, COP 26 and COVID TaskforceSpecial Advisors254358ContractorsN/AN/A429

Government Departments: Heating

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of the principal offices of each government department located in central London, (1) what temperature the offices are heated to during working hours in winter, and (2) what assessment they have made of the advantages and disadvantages of reducing that temperature by 2°C.

Lord True: The government must meet the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which place a legal obligation on employers to provide a 'reasonable' temperature in the workplace. The current operational temperatures in open plan offices vary across government.We are following, and closely monitoring, industry and HSE guidance in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of reducing the operational temperature setpoint by 2°C.

Civil Servants: Remote Working

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to encourage civil servants to return to work in the office.

Lord True: Following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, civil servants have been increasingly returning to the office.The Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency has written to departments to underline the importance of workplace attendance and request that they review their existing guidance on the minimum number of days staff work in the office to ensure we are making efficient use of the government estate.

Cabinet Office: Disclosure of Information

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord True on 4 April (HL6397), how many non-disclosure agreements haveinvolved payments of £100,000 or more over the last five years.

Lord True: Under the Cabinet Office issued guidance on the use of confidentiality clauses in the Civil Service, there are certain circumstances where departments are obliged to seek Cabinet Office Ministerial approval before using such clauses in a settlement agreement. This includes where the case has a proposed payment of £100,000 or more.Data held by the Cabinet Office shows there has been one case over the last five years where Cabinet Office Ministerial approval was granted for use of a confidentiality clause to be used in connection with a settlement agreement with a proposed payment of £100,000 or more.

Visits Abroad: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister is planningto visit Rwanda; and if so, when.

Lord True: Our new migration and economic development partnership is a world first, which will tackle head-on the imbalance between illegal and legal migration routes. It will ensure that those who are in genuine need of protection will be safe and secure in a host country recognised globally for its record on welcoming and integrating migrants. And it will disrupt the business model of organised crime gangs and deter migrants from putting their lives at risk.As has been the practice under successive Administrations, for security reasons, future engagements by the Prime Minister are announced as and when appropriate.

War Memorials: Greater London

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 24 June 2019 (HL16339), whether they continue to be the custodians, through the Government Property Agency, of the Royal Naval Division War Memorial.

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Agnew of Oulton on 24 June 2019 (HL16339), whether the renovations due to be completed in 2019 have been carried out; whether there have been any further renovations since; and, if not, whether the Government Property Agency will conduct a survey to start renovations as soon as possible.

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, how long the fountain of the Royal Naval Division War Memorial has not been functional; and when they expect the necessary repairs to have been completed.

Lord True: The Government Property Agency (GPA) remains the Custodian of the Royal Naval Division War Memorial following transfer of the freehold.Renovation works to the Memorial were put on hold during a major refurbishment of London, Old Admiralty Building which was only completed in 2021.The Government Property Agency is working with Heritage England to assess the works required to develop a suitable plan. We expect the works to be concluded at the earliest opportunity once we have received feedback from the Heritage survey, until this has been concluded the GPA is unable to give a timescale for completion.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: Small Businesses

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to launch a new Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) Trade Support Fund to help firms trade internationally.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

National Security

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing Project DEFEND; and how has it contributed to (1) national resilience, and (2) a reduction insupply chain dependency on the People's Republic of China.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Foreign Investment in UK

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have tointroduce a strategy for foreign investment growth that increases (1) jobs, (2) skills, and (3) productivity, across the UK.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Import Controls: Xinjiang

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban all imports from China’s Xinjiang region unless they could be proven not to involve forced labour.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Chelsea Football Club: Sales

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that neither (1) the winning bid for Chelsea Football Club, nor (2) the process for identifying the winning bidder, involves the use of management consultancy services by Bain & Co.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The sale process continues to be run by Chelsea Football Club and it will be for them to decide the precise terms of a proposed sale. The Government will consider the merits of a licence application on its own terms and we expect any application to set out the proposed approach and specific transactions which need licensing in order to come to a decision.The Government can only impose conditions on a licence which authorises the sale of the club if they are linked to the sanctions policy.

Women and Equalities

Period Poverty Task Force

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Period Poverty Taskforce will restart its meetings; and if so, when.

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the £250,000 that was committed to help the Period Poverty Taskforce to address the issue of period poverty will still be made available.

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they remain committed to their target of ending period poverty and shame in the UK by 2025.

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the issues of period poverty and shame.

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what trends they have identified, if any, in period poverty and shame; and what steps they are taking to address any such trends.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Period poverty is an issue the government takes very seriously and has taken a number of steps to address the problem.Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. Additionally, from 1 January 2021, the ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished - with a zero rate of VAT applying to all period products. Prior to the abolition of the tax, a Tampon Tax fund was in place to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on period products, to projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. A final round of £11.25 million in grant funding was awarded in November 2021 to distribute the VAT collected on period products in the final nine months of the 2020/21 financial year, before the tax ended.As well as these steps, in 2019, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them and the Home Office changed the law to ensure that all people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, to include period products.In March 2020, in light of COVID-19, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to free up resources to focus on the pandemic. Further announcements on the plans and the work of the Taskforce will be made in due course.